' women in power are generally seen to be less corruptible and more honest than men.'

No doubt they are seen to be, but are they in fact?

'Women are perceived to be more flexible, accommodating and less selfish with greater ability to compromise.'

Well, I suppose perception is reality, isn't it?

'One could definitely make the argument that the current dysfunction in the US Congress can partly be attributed to its masculinity.'

One could make that argument. One could also make the argument that many of the great achievements of the world can be attributed to masculinity too.

'Women don’t seem to require the egotistical posturing that is de rigueur amongst prominent males. '

Oh, you had me at 'de rigueur'. That phrase is the only reason I read Fairfax papers letters section. It gives me a chuckle every time, and evokes images of an environmentally friendly lass, riding her bicycle through Surry Hills to buy some organic shampoo, her mind awash with a mix of smugness and a little sadness that other people just don't understand why Clover Moore is so great.

'Women are definitely less violent...'

I didn't think violence was such a problem in parliament. Except in the Ukraine of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AQQAKAROls

'Although these feminine traits are generalisations, the combination of general masculinity and power has produced some highly destructive outcomes. A greater feminine influence could hopefully temper these power abuses.'

Well, I would argue that power itself produces destructive outcomes. You cant make omelettes without cracking eggs, and you definitely cant please everyone.

In the end your thesis boils down to an assertion that women are inherently superior, which brings it inline with most feminist commentary. I await with eagerness more women getting their hands dirty in the power game, and the inevitable soiling of the reputation of women as the virtuous gender. It's no coincidence that as womens rights and status and power has increased in this world, we get to see stuff like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnKifxUZZJU&feature=player_embedded&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKnKifxUZZJU%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&has_verified=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KoeEv-VQuY&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2KoeEv-VQuY&has_verified=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLZV9JDekIo&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkLZV9JDekIo&has_verified=1

Girls will be girls...
http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/women-sought-over-vicious-railway-attack-20130320-2ge7e.html

Houellie,

I imagine that women committing vicious attacks would be in the minority compared to men.

Having said that, a friend of mine was working recently over the road from a bunch of people having a drinkie on their front porch ex-lounge couches. He was treated to a real floor-show. After the guitars had been strummed, the voices grew louder, a female came out of an adjoining unit to tell them to pipe down.

Thereafter ensued a world-championship round of bare-knuckle, hose-whipping, stick-brandishing combat between two females. Apparently the blokes just sat by continuing their drinks and their conversation while the ladies roared away in the foreground. It was only when one of the ladies wielded a bigger stick that a bloke jumped up and sat on her...allowing the other woman to beat her up more fulsomely.

Who says the burbs are boring?

: )

That's not my Point Poirot. My point is that with more power, you see more abuse of power; Hard for women to be corrupt with no power for so long.

Can you imagine 'Ladies' in the 50s behaving like those chicks?

It's a bit rich for feminists to bemoan all these constricting 'societal expectations' when it suits, yet ignore them altogether when they want to put women up as the superior more virtuous gender.

Apparently these expectations only stop women doing good things, it's the innate superiority of women that stops them doing bad things.

Women haven't been given the opportunity to lead like men, sure, but that's why they haven't been given the opportunity to be as corrupt as men. It's pretty simple.

Houellie,

I did get your point.

(Those women were in their 30's/40's btw from my friend's description)

I tend agree with you, I think "corruption and greed" are "human" failings - stemming from "power" which often serves to dilute ethical considerations.

I'm of the view that if the author thinks that women are somehow more virtuous etc than men that he has never dealt with the women of the child support agency as a male client.

I really don't think that there is evidence to suggest that all other things being equal that gender has anything to do with ethics.

Its great that barriers are being removed for both genders in diffeent roles but the belief that more women in power will lead to better outcomes than those achieved by men in power because women are somehow better is just misandrist wishfull thinking. Misandrist being used in the revised toned down version rather than necessarily hatred of men.

R0bert

The difference between woman & man is in womens lack of imagination.

Women write romance & fantasy novels, men write adventure stories. Women are good at crime & detective stories, proving they are more conniving & nefarious than men.

When a woman walks through as forrest they see pretty leaves, & perhaps a few flowers. When a man walks through a forrest he sees furniture & house building materials, & a source of fuel to make iron & copper.

When a woman brings home a bit of flat pack furniture she unpacks it, looks at the drawing, & throws her hands in the air in horror, & possibly cries. She then goes look for a man, who like the man from snowy river's stock horse, snuffs the battle, [with the packs designer] with delight, & puts the thing together.

So if you want to be still living in a cave, sitting on the ground, eating mammoth, put a woman in charge. Greenies & hippies will love it. However if you want to live in an air conditioned solid house, sitting on furniture, with a car to drive to a shop to buy flat pack furniture, chuck the woman out, & hire a man.

Have you ever noticed the fool womans habit of at a moment of victory, like winning the miss world pageant, women cover their face with their hands. How the hell are you going to make the final victory, if you can't see what you are doing. You're gone for sure, so if you ever want to win a battle or a war, for gods sake get the birds out of the military, unless you have a Maggy Thatcher, & not many countries are that lucky.